Letters to the Editor 9-8-16

She gets it
EDITOR: I am proud to support Lynda Hopkins for Supervisor. I have been observing Lynda Hopkins for many, many months and have seen first-hand that her support is broad based. She has been embraced by a wide-range of individuals in the fifth district. Many in the local business and nonprofit communities support her because her pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to working with people. Such a refreshing change from the combative us versus them politics. I support Lynda because I believe she will be the most effective at bridging the divide between business and environmental issues. Rather than fueling the fire of contempt between business and labor interest or farming and environmental interest, we need to find ways to bring everyone to the table and move our community in a better direction. If you have met Lynda, you may have heard her talk about how she also wants to use the existing structure to create Community Improvement Districts along the coast and Russian River corridors. The concept is simple, the enactment challenging to bring dollars back to the communities that are generating the monies from tourism (TOT). She gets it. She has my vote
Patty Ginochio
Bodega Bay
Realtors for the River
EDITOR: As realtors in the Russian River region, we are very disturbed by the proposal to permanently lower the flows in the Russian River. Folks come from all over the world to vacation and enjoy the Russian River. In addition, on hot summer days, all of Sonoma County travels to the River and Coast to cool off.  Your experiment in lower the flows has resulted in one toxic algae event which killed two dogs last summer and the posting of “caution” signs on our beaches this summer.
When the next dog dies, or God forbid, a child perishes because of toxic algae, will that be enough evidence for you that this is a flawed concept? Warm still water and run-off from the vineyards is a toxic mix and we strongly object to the continuation of this practice. If you allow the flow rates to be lowered you will kill the River, you will destroy our economic basis: i.e., vacation homes and affect the entire tourism industry for the county. This toxic mess is dangerous to people and it is hard to comprehend how fish could survive in such a warm toxic environment.
In speaking with the water quality expert at one of your meetings, he stated that bacteria in the Monte Rio area, from septics, was not a problem. This is somewhat of a shocking statement since the county has insisted that it is a problem and that is why a sewer had been proposed for the area and a moratorium on construction has been in place. Do you just alter the statistics to fit your needs rather than reality?
The rest of Sonoma County will be brought down by your unscientific killing of the lower Russian River. Do not think that we will be silent in condemning you for these actions. If toxic algae is in Guerneville, it will also be in Healdsburg and even Sonoma will not escape the label of toxic water-toxic wine. More study is needed to protect the lower Russian River. Why have by-pass and Federal Funds not been sought for this portion of the River as they have for Dry Creek? Why is there no EIR for the lower Russian River, which is being affected by these flows? Could it be that you still consider us to be expendable?
It is time to lay this bad policy to rest forever. The health of the lower Russian River is imperative for the health of all of Sonoma County.
Connie Schlabach
Realtors Against Low Flow
Guerneville
New low
EDITOR: Commentaries from the Noreen Evans campaign have reached new lows in the rhetoric and disinformation that have characterized their attacks on Lynda Hopkins. Since they cannot find anything to criticize about what Lynda has to say, they have resorted to fear and smear. Lynda is a progressive Democrat, as are most of her active supporters. She is an environmentalist and small farmer with a degree in land use planning. She supports environmental protection, urban boundaries, affordable housing and supportive services. These are not agenda items of big business or the 1 percent. 
She was not hand picked by anyone. She decided to run because she believes that she can be part of a better and fairer Sonoma County in the future. She’s received support from local business because she is smart, pragmatic and eager to work with everyone. Noreen Evans is the candidate with the history of questionable financial support, including big energy, big pharmaceuticals, Indian gaming, payday lenders and wineries. True, Noreen was in the legislature where this type of support is more common than we would like. But it is a disingenuous irony that her campaign accuses Lynda of being controlled by interests that Noreen has represented in the past.
Samantha Nichols
Santa Rosa